Teaching kids to evaluate sources in 2019

[Carrie12345]

This is a combined homeschool/parenting question.

I DID feel that I DID do a good job of teaching my kids about reliable sources when it came to academic and casual research not so long ago, within the context of the times.  Today, I’m feeling rather helpless! And almost hopeless.

We are a science-minded family that is pretty open to certain types of “natural” or “home remedy” types of things. Anyone who has a headache in our house is always told to drink some water to see if that helps. Most of my kids’ tummies feel better after some tea. There are multiple forms of peppermint in our home, car, bags, etc. because it “fixes everything”. Diet and exercise are the first things we examine whenever anyone isn’t feeling right.  Yadda, yadda.

But now I have teenagers who are *this* close (or it feels that way) to being on their own in the world, and they’re falling down questionable internet holes.  One recently purchased a “natural” and “safe” oil vape to try to help manage anxiety.  Of course I intercepted the delivery, but she didn’t have any sort of guilty reaction. She honestly felt that she had done her research, and repeated it all to me - all of the slick marketing and “oils will cure you of all ills” sites.  (Also, she used to have a therapist who liked to mention oils.)

These are kids who are vocally pro-vaccines, pro-OTC and prescription meds, pro-routine health check ups, etc.  They’re not philosophically opposed to the medical establishment (unless we get into affordability and access...), so they aren’t actively seeking to go against it, they’re just open to looking at little things that might help first.  But now there are millions of sources that are great at giving the impression of authority and validity. And so many of them are being shared by adults that my kids know and trust! 

I’m feeling like there’s no clear line to draw to help them. Especially when they have a mom who’s happy to slop mentholated gunk on a stuffy kid, or tell someone to eat a banana to feel better. To complicate things even further, they know my position on medical marijuana, which is similar to the arguments that so many oil, diet, and woo gurus use.  “This works and it’s being kept from you” (in some states) can be true... and it can be cow poop.  

I’m not satisfied with just saying “You’re not allowed to use a vape of any kind.”  I mean, I have said that, but I want to go back to our old fact checking lessons. I just no longer know how to qualify things when garbage is being polished so well these days.

Help?

[Farrar]

I think the new Crash Course Navigating Digital Information series is a good starter point:

 

[Carrie12345]

14 minutes ago, Farrar said:

I think the new Crash Course Navigating Digital Information series is a good starter point:

Thanks! I’ll be checking that out.